Motherboard, Expansion Cards
Motherboard:
Hosting the Phenom is MSI’s “Media Live Diva” MS-7411 motherboard. Combining AMD’s applauded 780G chipset and adequate if unexciting SB700 south bridge, the MS-7411 is aimed squarely at the HTPC market. There are 4 PCI-Express slots, including an x16 slot for a gaming graphics card, three x1 slots for such things as TV tuners and sound cards, as we’ll see later, and a curious x4 slot which will also get a more detailed investigation.
The back of the case is where, for me, things gets a little more interesting.
Firstly, the connections on the motherboards back panel:
Expansion Cards:
The first PCI-Express x1 slot is populated by an ATI TV Wonder 600, which unfortunately won’t be sold in Australia.
The next PCI-Express x1 slot and the associated x4 slot is occupied by what I found possibly the most interesting part of the entire system, the MSI 5.1 Amplifier card, which is a 5 x 100W (approximately 5 x 35W RMS) amplifying sound card. So, if you don’t already have a 5 channel amplifier, all you need is an amplified subwoofer for a nice and easy 5.1 surround sound setup.
It’s driven by an Intersil DAE-3 which features a 105dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and less than 0.1% Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Audiophiles might grumble about such specs, but for all the “normal” people out there I think it’s quite respectable. It certainly performed admirably during my testing. The quick connect plug for wiring up your speakers is such a handy addition it makes me wonder why all amplifiers don’t have it.
If you happen to have a surround-sound setup already in place, you could use MSI’s 7-channel pre-amplifier card, also supplied, which boasts 110dB SNR and a measly 0.01% THD. Speaking of acoustics, a typically annoying sound in any computer system can be hard drive seeks, and the AMD Live! team thought of this, too. A 500GB Seagate Pipeline HD takes care of the storage duties, and is specifically optimised for this type of environment. It features a low noise output of 19 to 24dB, which is whisper-quiet, a low-current spin-up to ease the burden on the power supply, and a 5-year warranty.
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